In a profile on Brooklyn Based, David discusses his work and the source of his inspiration, his mother:

Since I was small I have seen
my mother sewing orders for people, so this might [have] influenced me
in some way. [...] When I started investigating about the act of
sewing in relation with my body, I realized that with this a physical
link was created in which an external factor became a part of my body.
By sewing the images of my loved ones, this action turned [into] a
symbolic act on how these people leave their mark on us.

The article describes more of his technique and has links to other works in which David uses his body as a canvas.

"As
a general rule, expert tattoo artists were respected elderly women.
Their extensive training as skin seamstresses (parkas, pants, boots,
hide boat covers, etc.) facilitated the need for precision when
'stitching the human skin' with tattoos. Tattoo designs were usually
made freehand but in some instances a rough outline was first sketched
upon the area of application."

We saw Colin's skin sewing first hand at the Traditional Tattoo & World Culture Fest in 2010. In the video below, Colin is being interview by Bizarre Magazine and we got to capture some of his discussion on the history behind the practice (the video starts with Colin making fun of my NY accent).

I find it fascinating when ancient practices are revived and re-explored today, and both Colin and David's works are worth a look.